Gone in the Night
by mariposa510
Summary: Elizabeth's in trouble on another planet, and John has to come to her rescue...but first he has to find her! First ever fic.
1. Taken

Elizabeth's eyes snapped open, and she was suddenly wide awake and very disoriented. She blinked as her eyesight adjusted to the near-darkness, and she tried to get her bearings. She was lying in a low bed by the far wall of a small wooden hut.

_Where the hell am I?_

Finally, the memories pierced her groggy brain. _The negotiations_. Yes, she remembered now. The Goran people had been willing to trade a significant portion of their harvest, but their price had been too high. Elizabeth had insisted on coming to the planet to negotiate with the Goran leader. John hadn't been too happy about that.

She sighed when she remembered the particularly heated argument they'd had in her office after she'd made the decision.

"_Doctor, we've only just met these people, and we don't know for sure if we can really trust them. You're the leader of this expedition…we can't afford to gamble with your life!"_

_She'd expected an objection from him and was prepared to defend her decision. She squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. "Yes, Colonel, I _am _the leader of this expedition. I am also the most qualified person to negotiate a more favorable agreement with these people, one that doesn't involve giving them access to all our technology."_

_Apparently, John wasn't listening. "Do I have to remind you of what happened the _last_ time you went offworld for a negotiation? You were almost arrested and fed to the Wraith!" He was practically shouting now._

"_We need those supplies, John! Let me do my _job_!" They stared at each other across her desk, neither one willing to back down on this._

_Finally, John spoke. "Fine," he said without breaking eye contact or softening his expression in the slightest, "but for the record, I don't like this at all." She gave a small nod, and he left the office without another word._

Elizabeth didn't like fighting with Sheppard, but he could be so damned pig-headed sometimes! As it turned out, she was right. The negotiations had gone very well; the Goran leader was impressed, and a little unnerved, that the leader of Atlantis herself had come to take over the dialog, especially when she began by pointing out that she was _not_ happy with the current arrangement.

However, even with her intimidation of Councilor Sloane, the negotiations had progressed slowly. It had taken over four hours to hammer out all the details. When they finally finished, it was almost dark, and the Gorans had insisted that Elizabeth and the others stay the night. John opened his mouth to politely refuse, but Elizabeth beat him to it. She'd wanted to display a show of trust to make up for any hard feelings left over from the negotiations (they hadn't all been pleasant words on her part).

The Gorans seemed pleased, but John definitely was _not._ The only thing that had saved them from another argument had been the Goran ritual dinner, after which they had been shown immediately to their rooms. Apparently the natives had rules about men and women staying on different sides of the camp at night…once again, John was decidedly _not_ happy.

Trying not to think of the inevitable argument tomorrow on board the puddlejumper, Elizabeth focused on remembering what had woken her up in the first place. She had almost decided that she had been dreaming, when she heard it again. It sounded like someone was creeping around the corner of her little hut!

She froze. The hairs were rising on the back of her neck, and she heard the blood pounding in her ears. She couldn't just sit here and wait for someone to come charging into her room.

As quietly as possible, she slipped her feet over the edge of the bed and into the standard-issue combat boots that John always made her wear offworld. She crept across the room and stopped just to the side of the only opening in the small building. Hesitating only a moment, she took hold of the cloth covering that served as a door and moved it slightly to the side. Taking a deep breath, she peered slowly around the edge and scanned the side of the building…nothing.

Just as she started to turn her head and check the other side, a rough hand clamped over her mouth. Before she could even begin to react, a huge arm had wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to the sides and pressing her back against the solid wall of a very large, very muscular man.

Heart pounding, she tried to think back to the self-defense lessons Teyla had given her months ago. Kicking and squirming, she struggled to break free of the man's strong grasp.

Suddenly, the Stargate whooshed to life and flooded the entire area with bluish light. Blinking against the sudden illumination, she realized that she was not the only one in this situation. Five other men were dragging struggling young women toward the now-open gate. Elizabeth's eyes widened in fear and panic took over all rational thought as she realized that in a few moments she would go through the stargate…and John would have no way to trace her. She had to get free, _now_!

Desperation sank in as they inched closer to the shimmering pool, and she stomped down on her captor's foot with all the strength she could muster. He didn't release her arms, but he was distracted long enough for her to wrench her head free and call for help.

"Colonel Sheppard!" The man tried to get his hand over her mouth again, but she stomped down in the exact place as before, making him curse in pain. "Colonel!"

They were about a foot from the gate when she finally saw him, running down the path, P-90 in hand and boots still untied. She struggled more fiercely, but she knew it was a lost cause. "_John!_"

She heard him yell her name just before the wormhole closed around her, and she prayed he would get to the DHD before the gate shut down. It was all she could hope for now.


	2. Lost

**Thanks for the reviews! I'll try to update regularly, but we've just started back to school, and things are a little crazy. For now, enjoy the second chapter, and I'll try to get more up soon! Thanks!**

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John's arms pumped furiously as he willed his body to move faster down the dirt path through the village. He'd been awoken by Elizabeth's scream from across the compound, which now seemed to stretch on forever. He cursed himself for ever allowing these people to put such a distance between them. Another yell pierced the darkness, and John fought with his already straining muscles to push them past their limits.

As he rounded the corner and the Stargate came into view, John felt his blood go cold at the sight before him. Elizabeth was only a few paces from the open gate, and a huge behemoth of a man was attempting to drag her through it. In the back of his mind he had a fleeting thought of admiration for how intensely she was struggling, but it was quickly chased away by the realization that she was losing and would soon be pulled through the gate to God knows where.

He tried to think of something, _anything_ to stop that from happening, but the logical part of his mind that still functioned in this situation told him that it was hopeless. He caught her eye as she yelled out his name, and his heart shattered. She was scared as hell, and there was nothing he could do to protect her.

_Keep fighting, Elizabeth! I'll be there soon, just hold on!_

Then without warning, the puddle enveloped her, and she was gone.

In an instant, his military instincts taking over, John changed tactics. He sprinted for the DHD, praying he would get there before the coordinates disengaged. The glowing symbols came into his field of vision, and he tried to focus and make out the markings.

_Please,_ he pleaded silently, _just a little bit longer…_

The gate shut down, and the shimmering blue light vanished, leaving the area pitch black except for the faint glow of this world's far-off moon. John stopped, breathing heavily and feeling as though the sudden darkness was suffocating him.

He'd gotten five. Five out of seven.

As his eyes adjusted to the change of the light and his breathing slowly returned to normal, John stood staring at the lifeless ring. He closed his eyes for a moment, and tried to calm the emotions running rampant in his mind. Then he took a deep breath, turned abruptly, and ran back to gather the others.

They would find her; they _had _to.


	3. Captive

**Sorry for the delay! The story wasn't telling me where exactly it was going, so I had to play with it for a while before I posted. Anyway, hope you enjoy the next chapter! And thanks for the reviews!**

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Elizabeth blinked furiously, trying to clear the momentary blindness that assaulted her eyes when she emerged on the other side of the stargate into harsh sunlight. Her eyes were just beginning to adjust to the change when she was suddenly hurled roughly to the ground. She barely threw out an arm in time to stop herself from crashing face-first into the dirt.

As she lay there allowing her heartbeat and breathing to slowly return to normal, she started to notice other changes in the environment. There was some vegetation in the area, but not much. What little there was had the appearance of something fighting a battle with the environment that it was barely winning, and Elizabeth could see why. It was _hot_ here.

Judging by the shadows and the position of this world's sun in the sky, Elizabeth figured it must be late afternoon, and she was already sweating in her lightweight jacket and pants. She considered taking off her jacket, but quickly reconsidered. Half-remembered school lessons and a lecture last month from Rodney McKay on the mortal perils of an alien planet floated through her brain, reminding her that harsh environments tended to oscillate between both extremes; she might need her jacket once the sun went down. Rodney, not to mention John, would never forgive her if she froze to death tonight just because she was a little uncomfortable right now.

Elizabeth's train of thought was suddenly broken by an order barked out by the largest of the thugs.

"Stay on your knees and put out your hands." He spoke harshly, but there was also an odd undercurrent of boredom in his voice, like he had participated in this same procedure many times before, and it had now become routine.

Deciding that for right now it would be better to do as she was told, Elizabeth raised her arms in front of her. Immediately, one of the kidnappers came forward with a length of rope. He stooped in front of her and began to bind her hands together. She put up no fight, hoping that he would take that as a sign that she need not be restrained too tightly. She watched him while he worked the rather complicated-looking knot; he was smaller than the others and had a slightly apprehensive air about him. It was obvious he hadn't done this as many times as his leader.

When he finally finished, Elizabeth's hands were bound tightly in front of her with the rest of the rope stretching out toward her captor who held it tightly in his right hand. She shifted her wrists slightly and found she could barely move them; apparently, the new guy had chosen not to take any risks on her. She tried to catch the man's eye, but he studiously avoided her gaze, focusing instead on the leader of the gang.

When all the captives were bound securely and his henchmen appeared ready to go, the leader stepped forward and looked at the six women in front of him. His stare lingered on Elizabeth, taking in her strange clothing and her dignified manner before he began to speak, addressing them all.

He wasted no time in getting to the point. "This world is Incala, and you are now slaves." Elizabeth drew a sharp breath and one of the girls to her left began to cry. Unmoved, the leader continued his blunt explanation of the situation.

"It is in your best interests to forget about your past lives, your families, your world. This is your home now, and you should accept that. The sooner you do, the easier this will be for you."

He seemed about to continue, but stopped when he heard a loud sob from the girl on Elizabeth's left. Without saying a word, he walked up to her, raised his right arm, and backhanded her across the face. Anger stormed through Elizabeth's features, but she held her tongue for fear of further retribution toward the girl. For her part, the gesture seemed to have shocked the young woman into silence. A single tear snaked down her cheek, but she didn't make another sound.

_He's done this so many times and to so many women that he probably doesn't even see us as human anymore, _she though to herself angrily.

Elizabeth fixed the boss with her coldest Dr.Weir glare, but it didn't seem to faze him. If he took any notice of it at all, he seemed to display only mild amusement. This only heightened her frustration and indignation.

The leader held Elizabeth's stare for several seconds as if waiting for her to speak or make a move, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of punishing her. She simply glared. She'd taken part in enough tense negotiations to know the power silence could wield. She trusted in that knowledge, just as she trusted in the power of words. This was one of her strengths; controlling a situation without physical force was her forte.

He didn't seem impressed. He looked her up and down, then gave a small smile that sent disgusted shivers down Elizabeth's spine. He caught her eye once more before he turned on his heel and began barking orders to his men and their captives once again.

"Get up." Elizabeth looked for the source of the voice and found it belonged to the thug still holding the end of the rope attached to her wrists. When she didn't move for several seconds, he looked around nervously, then gave a tug on the rope. It caught Elizabeth off balance, and she almost fell.

"Get up!" he repeated, with more urgency this time. She stood up slowly, brushing the dirt from her knees as best she could.

When she had straightened completely, she looked up and caught the young man's eye. He looked away and turned toward a horse standing a few paces away. He tied the rope to the saddle and mounted. He looked back at her once before nudging the horse into motion and leading her after the others, through the barren valley toward the hills in the distance.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and looked back at the silent stargate.

_Please hurry, John._


	4. Journey

**Ok, the next few chapters will be focusing on Elizabeth. I'll get back to John and the others soon, but I just couldn't bring myself to skip all the imagery I had of Elizabeth's journey. I hope you're not upset and that you'll stick with me on this one! And once again, thanks for the reviews! It definitely helps!**

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An hour after the sun sank below the hills, the group finally stopped for the night. Elizabeth sank to her knees as soon as her captor halted his mount, grateful for the rest at last. They had walked for several hours without even a water break, and she was utterly exhausted.

It was obvious from the well-worn campfire area this was one of the slave team's regular check points, and one of the men immediately started work on a fire. Elizabeth's captor untied the rope from his saddle and held it loosely in his hand.

"Over by the fire," he instructed, focusing intently on something in the distance so as to avoid meeting her gaze.

Elizabeth suddenly realized she was shivering even with her jacket, so she obediently moved toward the growing campfire. When she reached it, she sighed and sat cross-legged on the ground, stretching out her numb hands toward the warmth.

She felt a slight tension in the rope and looked up to see that the man was gathering the rest of the rope into one hand. She studied him as he concentrated on his task while periodically glancing at the other men in the camp.

_He seems different from the others, like he actually sees us as human beings. He looks like the moral part of what he's doing here might actually be bothering him._ He looked up then and shifted uncomfortably under Dr.Weir's scrutiny.

He gestured at her legs as he said, "Sit back, and put your hands on your knees." She narrowed her eyes slightly, but did as she was told. Her piercing stare stayed fixed on him as he knelt in front of her and began to knot the rope around her ankles in a way that meant she wouldn't be able to lift her hands from her knees. It wasn't an entirely uncomfortable position, but it made any effective attempt at escape practically impossible.

She decided to take a chance and break her silence. "What's your name?" she asked quietly. His hands stilled, but he didn't look up at her. He finished the knot and started to stand up. Elizabeth bit back her disappointment, but at that moment he stopped and turned back to her. "Elos," he said, "My name is Elos." He met her gaze, and she briefly saw sympathy in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a forced hardness that told Elizabeth she would receive no help from him. He stood abruptly and stared down at her.

"Sleep," Elos ordered gruffly. "You'll need it tomorrow. It won't be an easy day for you." With that, he stalked off to join the men at another campfire a few feet away.

Elizabeth let out a frustrated sigh, and tried to keep her thoughts away from Elos' last statement. It took some maneuvering to lie down without the use of her hands, but she finally found a semi-comfortable position that she didn't think would cause any neck pain come morning. Despite the rope bound tightly around her wrists and ankles, Elizabeth fell immediately into a deep, exhausted sleep.

Elizabeth awoke the next morning to the unfamiliar sounds of men clanging around a campfire, and momentarily had no idea where she was. She tried to get up to look around, but the ropes prevented much movement. Immediately, she remembered where she was and what had happened. _I really need to work on my early morning memory recall skills_, she thought absently.

She struggled to sit up, and her captors heard her shifting about. Elos walked toward her carrying a small wooden bowl. Setting it on the ground beside him, he untied the rope from Elizabeth's ankles, and held out the bowl to her. She cocked her head suspiciously, but took the bowl from his hand. After smelling it, she decided it would be bad business for him to poison her now, so she began to drink the warm soup. Elos watched her a moment, then began to get up again.

Elizabeth wiped her mouth on her jacket sleeve and looked up at Elos. "Thank you," she said softly. He glanced down then looked toward the other slavers before he said, "Eat quickly. We'll leave soon, and we should reach the town today. Try to eat it all; I've seen where we're going, and this might be the last decent meal you get for a while." She opened her mouth to ask a question, but Elos was already walking away.

Troubled by Elos' information, Elizabeth finished her soup in silence. Moments later, she was once again tethered to the horse and walking toward one of the larger hills that suddenly seemed much too close.


	5. Trapped

**A little more Elizabeth…I've been waiting to write this part since I started the story. Hope you enjoy it! And thanks for the reviews, as always!**

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By early afternoon, the slave troupe had reached the outskirts of a large town that reminded Elizabeth strongly of her history lessons on Colonial America. Elos and the others stopped outside a fairly large building and tethered their horses to a post by the door. They led their charges inside, with Elos and Elizabeth trailing at the end.

Inside, the building resembled an old-style prison. The hallway was lined with heavy wooden doors, each with a small barred window and a heavy padlock. Most were unlocked, but judging from the locked doors, a few held prisoners.

Elos walked up to one of the doors and gestured for Elizabeth to go inside. She took a deep breath and walked in with as much dignity as she could muster. Elos followed her inside and shut the door. She narrowed her eyes and set her shoulders, but her stomach tightened slightly; she didn't like where this situation could be heading.

He set his pack on the floor and walked toward her. She managed not to back up through sheer force of will. He looked at her curiously, but she only relaxed when she realized he meant only to untie the rope around her wrists.

Elizabeth sighed in relief as Elos walked back toward the door. She massaged her wrists where the tight ropes had started to rub her skin raw. The tension was beginning to bleed from her tired muscles, but it returned full force when she heard the next words Elos spoke.

"Take off your clothes."

Elizabeth felt her heartbeat and breathing quicken as her mind raced with the implications of that statement. She stood frozen, trying to bring the fear that she knew showed in her face under control. Elos was bending over his pack, retrieving a bundle of cloth. He didn't seem nervous or remorseful at all, and Elizabeth began to wonder if she had read him wrong earlier.

When he didn't hear any movement for a moment, Elos turned to survey his captive. Confusion and impatience passed through his features, and he repeated his order once again. "I said, take off your clothes. Now do it!"

Elizabeth clamped down hard on the panic rising within her and fought to keep her voice steady. "No," she replied firmly. _I can't let this happen. John will never forgive himself if I let this man…rape me. I will _not_ let that happen! Not without a fight!_ She squared her shoulders, her entire body tensed with fear.

Impatience changed quickly to anger. "No? Why the hell not? What do you think is gonna…." He trailed off as a look of comprehension dawned on his face, followed by disgusted horror. "You think I'm gonna…I would never!..." he stammered, trying to regain his composure. He seemed to flounder for words before he finally blurted out, "Hell, I just want you to put this damn dress on! I'm not gonna rape you!" He ran a hand through his hair, obviously shaken by her assumption.

The tension within her evaporated instantly. She had never felt so relieved in her life, and she almost laughed out loud at the absurdity of the entire situation. However, at that moment, Elos recovered from his shock, and the mask was thrown back into place. "Now that we've got that out of the way," he said without any hint of emotion, "take off your clothes."

Reluctantly, Elizabeth removed her jacket and bent to untie her boots. She continued to strip off one layer at a time until finally she was standing in the cell wearing only her bra and underwear. Her cheeks slightly tinged, she looked up at Elos, praying that he would let her keep some shred of dignity and not make her undress completely in front of him.

Fortunately, Elos merely tossed her a rough but lightweight piece of white fabric. As she unfolded it, she saw it was a plain sleeveless dress that would fall about midway down her calves. It tied at each shoulder, and Elizabeth briefly wondered why they hadn't chosen an easier design. Her musings were cut short by soft sounds of clanking metal coming from Elos' direction. She jerked her head up sharply and saw that Elos now held two pairs of manacles and a thin but sturdy metal ring in his hands.

The sense of dread returned to Elizabeth's stomach as Elos approached her with the new restraints. She held out her hand in a placating gesture as she pleaded with her eyes and voice. "Elos," she said softly, "please, are those really necessary? I don't think I can get out of this room; there's no need to restrain me further."

Elos sighed, but continued toward her. "I know," he said with a twinge of regret in his voice, "but the cuffs are standard protocol for all new slaves. And the collar is mandatory. It's permanent, the mark of a slave."

At that revelation, panic hit her full force and Elizabeth did back away from him. Restraints were one thing, but a _permanent_ metal collar? All too soon, she backed into the rear wall of her cell. Elos stopped advancing on her and said very calmly, "Give me your wrists."

Elizabeth's mind worked furiously to come up with a way out of this, but she could find none. She closed her eyes for a moment, steeling herself, then held out her arms for the second time during this nightmare. She felt the cool metal lock around her wrists and looked down to see about three inches of metal chain between her hands. An instant later, her bare ankles were locked together with about a foot of chain between them.

Finally, Elos reached for the collar. Elizabeth fought to keep her defenses from crumbling as he positioned it around her neck. She heard it click into place, and it echoed ominously through the small room.

Blinking furiously to clear her vision, she looked Elos straight in the eye. Once again, she saw sympathy in his gaze for just a moment, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Without another word, he retrieved his pack and walked out the door, locking it behind him.

Elizabeth sank down in a corner and brought her shaking hands up to finger the metal ring around her neck. Leaning her head against the rear wall of the cell, she wrapped her arms around her knees and tried to keep the threatening tears at bay.

John would come soon. He _had _to.


	6. Obstacles

As John strode into the Control Tower, several hours after Elizabeth's abduction, he caught a glimpse ofher desk behind the sliding glass door that gave her a little respite from the chaos of the rest of the city. Even though he knew she wasn't there, it still shocked him slightly that he didn't see her hard at work on some gravely important minor detail. He remembered all the times he'd sauntered in and she had glanced up at him and smiled. He missed that smile.

_Focus, Sheppard!_ He squared his shoulders and walked over to McKay who was bent over a laptop, punching random keys and looking very agitated…as usual.

"So, where are we?" he asked as he approached the scientist.

Rodney frowned and stood up, but avoided looking at the Colonel. "We've narrowed it down to 30 possible planets," he said with a hint of frustration in his voice.

John stopped and stared at Rodney. "_Thirty?_" he demanded. His voice mirrored his emotions: shock, disbelief, frustration, and anger at the people who had caused this in the first place. How could it be so many planets!

McKay sighed wearily as though he expected this conversation. He started in on another of his mile-a-minute explanations, and Sheppard struggled to understand his barely coherent words.

"It's pretty complicated, Colonel. It's not like I can just pull the correct symbol out of thin air! Actually, you inadvertently helped us out. One of the symbols you _didn't_ get was the point of origin, which we already know. So really, we're only missing one symbol out of the address, even though you only saw five. It dramatically lowered the number of potential addresses we needed to check." McKay paused as though contemplating the calculations once again in his head.

Sheppard shook his head in disbelief. "It _dramatically_ lowered the number, and we _still_ have thirty possibilities? Damn it! McKay, it could take weeks to search all those planets! Did you already take out the ones you couldn't get a lock on?"

An annoyed, impatient look crossed Rodney's face as he answered. "Oh gee," he snapped, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I knew we were forgetting something! Here, let me go back and take care of an incredibly _basic_ step that only an _idiot_ would forget." He threw up his hands and shouted in the Colonel's face, "_Of course_ I already did that!"

"McKay…" Sheppard growled in his most threatening tone.

Rodney sighed again, obviously frustrated. "Look, Colonel, we were lucky to get it narrowed down this far. There could literally have been hundreds of planets we had to check. Believe it or not, I'm giving you good news."

"Could've fooled me," John mumbled. He turned and looked into Elizabeth's office again. It suddenly seemed so incredibly empty.

Once again, John clamped down on his emotions and tried to focus on the task at hand. If he were going to find Elizabeth and bring her home safely, he needed to act quickly and decisively…like she would.

He turned back to McKay and began issuing orders for the rescue plan.

"Ok. We've got enough military personnel available to form six teams. Each team will check out a planet on the list and report back. We'll prioritize the list, starting with planets that have settlements closest to the stargate. Those will be easiest to search, and they're probably more likely destinations." He paused. "Let's just hope they didn't gate somewhere else once they were through."

Rodney's eyes widened slightly at that suggestion. It had never occurred to him that they might employ such tactics to avoid being followed. He swallowed hard and tried to put the thought out of his mind. He turned back to his computer terminal and began organizing the list of planets as Colonel Sheppard had ordered.

John headed toward the briefing room to meet with the heads of the other teams, but stopped outside the door to Elizabeth's office. He stepped closer, and it obediently slid open for him. Everything was exactly as Elizabeth had left it. Her laptop was sitting in the middle of the desk with a stack of reports to one side. The coffee cup she hadn't found time to wash out before the mission still sat on the corner. It looked like she had stepped out to speak to one of the scientists or something, and John half expected her to walk up behind him any minute.

"Colonel?" He jumped when he heard the voice behind him, and turned to face the speaker. Rodney looked slightly uncomfortable as he tried to figure out what to say to his friend. Finally, he handed the Colonel a data pad and said, "Here's the prioritized list. I broke it up into groups already so you can just assign the teams to a specific grouping…" He trailed off, wanting to say something reassuring, but not able to find the words.

John nodded and took the pad. He glanced over it as he once again headed toward the briefing room.

Rodney had no idea he was going to say it before he blurted it out. "Don't worry, we'll find her," he called, and it sounded pathetic even to him.

Sheppard stopped and turned his head toward the scientist. "I know we will," he said with a complete confidence that he didn't really feel. "I just hope it doesn't take too long." Without waiting for a reply, he started off again, attempting to banish images running through his mind of Elizabeth hurt, in pain, or alone somewhere.

He would find her. He needed her to be there when he walked into that office. He needed her to smile at him. Hell, he needed her to yell at him and tell him he was being a complete idiot! He needed her back. He couldn't stand the emptiness.

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**Ok, I know you were all waiting for John to be really pissed, and I promise he will be! Right now he just has to focus on running things. Don't worry, you'll get to see Scary Angry Sheppard soon enough! We'll have to get back to Elizabeth for a bit, then we can check back in on John.:-) Thanks for the reviews! They make me happy and make me write more often! Y'all rock!**


	7. Sold

**Thanks for your patience! Homework and readings for class have been killing me! But you'll be happy to know that instead of reading tonight, I decided to work on the story. :-) Enjoy!**

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It had been two days since Elos had left Elizabeth locked in her little cell, and since then she hadn't seen a soul. After the initial shock wore off, she'd tried to call for help. She'd even demanded to speak to the person in charge. No matter what she did, she was steadfastly ignored.

As Elos had predicted, she hadn't been given anything to eat since the soup he had given her three days earlier. She tried to think of other things in order to keep her mind off the hunger, but that didn't seem to be helping much either.

At first she had been sure John would come for her. She knew his policy on leaving people behind. He didn't, pure and simple. However, it had been four days since she'd been taken through the stargate, and she still had no indication that they were even looking for her.

There was one thought that she refused to allow into her consciousness. _What if he didn't see the address?_ The idea that they may not have any idea where to even start looking for her filled her with complete and paralyzing terror. She pushed the offending thoughts away. She had to believe that help would come if she were ever to make it through this situation. She knew John would never stop looking for her.

Elizabeth was jerked from her thoughts by the sound of a key turning in the lock outside her door. Not wanting to give the appearance of weakness, she climbed to her feet. She swayed unsteadily for a moment due to lack of food and water, but recovered quickly and turned to face the door.

She was expecting Elos, but two unfamiliar men walked through the door instead. One was tall and slightly balding with cruel eyes. The other was shorter than the first, but still stood higher than Elizabeth. He was more muscular and his face held a blank expression devoid of any emotion. In his hands he held a metal chain with a small lock on one end.

The first man grinned wickedly and started toward Elizabeth. "Well well, little girl, aren't we excited? Today's a big day for you…Market Day!" He chuckled a little, and his tone reminded Elizabeth vividly of her obnoxious childhood neighbor whenever he wanted to do something particularly unkind to their elderly neighbor's puppy.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and put up the unshakeable mask of Dr.Weir. "I demand to know what you plan to do with me," she said with such confidence that the man stopped and cocked his head to the side.

"What do we plan to do with you?" he smiled, his voice slightly mocking. "We're gonna sell you, sweetheart." His gaze swept over her body, and Elizabeth fought a revolted shiver. "And judging from the look of ya, we ought to do pretty well, too."

With that, he gestured to his partner who came forward with the chain. The taller man took the locking end and reached for the collar around Elizabeth's neck. When she flinched away from him, he stopped and smirked at her.

"You're gonna have to learn not to do that, beautiful, or you won't last very long here." Without warning, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head backward. She gasped in pain, and he locked the chain to a small metal loop on the collar.

Still holding fast to her hair, his other hand came up to cup her chin, and he leaned in close enough for her to catch the smell of stale alcohol on his breath. She tried to ignore the throbbing at the back of her head and hide her fear as she locked her stare with his.

His voice was low and threatening as he growled, "Don't forget what you are now, sweetheart. Slaves don't make demands. They follow them." He ran a finger down the side of her face before abruptly letting go of her hair and pushing her toward the door. "Now be a good girl and don't embarrass me out there."

Elizabeth had never felt more humiliated. She would never have imagined that at any point during her life she would be standing on a raised platform, bound hand and foot, being auctioned off to the highest bidder. She closed her eyes and fought to keep her features and body language neutral so as not to show the shame, revulsion, and fear she felt raging within her.

She had figured out very quickly why the locals preferred this particular style of dress for their slaves. A man in the crowd below who had been interested in the woman sold right before Elizabeth stated that he wouldn't place a bid unless he could "see" the _merchandise_…she shuddered slightly remembering that term.

An attendant had immediately stepped forward to untie the knots at each shoulder of the woman's dress. It had fallen to her ankles and she had stood there utterly exposed before the crowd gathered below. The man had scrutinized her body before smiling and making the winning bid. Elizabeth's stomach still turned as the event replayed itself in her mind and she thought about how easily the same could happen to her.

Tuning back in to the circus around her, she realized that there were two main buyers interested in her. The first was tall with shoulder-length dark hair and a lustful grin on his face, but Elizabeth's blood ran cold when she saw his eyes. Cold and hard, she knew her time on this world would not be made easier by this man.

Her heart sinking, she glanced at the other prospective buyer. What she saw there surprised her. He reminded her vaguely of the great-uncle she'd met only once as a child. He was moving past middle age, but was still impressively built. His features were hardened, but it was the kind of roughness that comes from a life of hard work. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was set in a grim line. _Almost as though he doesn't like doing this at all_, she thought.

Suddenly, a loud crack of wood on stone interrupted her thoughts, making her jump. She belatedly recognized it as the signal that the auction was over.

Her stomach dropped as she was led back to her cell, and the shock began to set in.

She had just been sold as a slave.


	8. Frustration

**You'll all be happy! I did two chapters this time, and I made sure one of them was an update on John's side this time. :-)

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Sergeant Lewis lowered the shield on the stargate and glanced down at the gateroom, just in time to see Colonel Sheppard storming toward the stairs. He immediately grabbed a data pad and retreated to the back of the room, where his commander hopefully wouldn't see him. The man had been entirely unpredictable ever since Dr.Weir had been kidnapped; Lewis had already had the misfortune of being caught in that firestorm once before, and he had no desire to do so again.**

Teyla sighed as she watched the skittish base staff edge quickly away from the Colonel, pretending to find other matters which suddenly needed their full attention. She was beginning to worry about him. His frustration was starting to bleed through to interactions with his subordinates, and it wasn't helping the situation at all…except to make everyone even more determined to get Dr.Weir back.

As she climbed the stairs, Teyla heard John barking orders into his radio. "I don't give a damn!" he practically yelled into the transmitter. "Eliz….Dr.Weir is still out there and we're not going to find her any faster with all of you sitting on your _asses_ waiting for the rain to stop! That's why we have _raingear_! Lieutenant, I want you and your team in the gateroom in no less than one hour, geared up and ready to go. Sheppard out!" With that, he bent over and began banging commands into an unsuspecting laptop.

Teyla quietly slipped over to Sergeant Lewis and asked in a hushed voice, "What was the Colonel so upset about?"

Lewis glanced around nervously before letting out sigh and answering. "Lt. Harrison's team was assigned to check out a planet that's currently experiencing a torrential rainstorm, and the only two jumpers we have in working order are both taken already. Apparently, the Colonel decided they could handle the flooding on foot."

Her eyes narrowed as she caught the hint of disapproval in the Sgt.'s voice. "You disagree?" she asked.

"Well, ma'am, I think the floods would be ok, but that team only just got back three hours ago from a two-day hike on another planet. They're dead tired, but he's not giving anyone downtime at all. As soon as they're medically cleared, each team heads back out again. It's starting to take its toll. I wouldn't complain, but I just watched all the guys on the last team fall asleep during their debriefing…and they're all marines."

Teyla's eyes widened slightly at this piece of news, and she decided that she would have to speak with the Colonel about his behavior. Steeling herself against his inevitable outburst, she called his name and approached.

"Colonel Sheppard, may I have a word? Perhaps in Dr.Weir's office?" She phrased it as a request, but her eyes told him that it was in his best interests not to refuse. Obviously swallowing an angry retort, he turned and stalked into the office in front of her.

He took a seat on the small couch in the office, crossed his arms, and tried to put on a neutral face, although it did little to hide his crystal clear frustration. Teyla took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Colonel, I know you are worried about Dr.Weir and are anxious to have her returned to us. Believe me, we all feel the same. I also understand your frustration over the amount of time it is taking to find her, but I'm afraid that you might be pushing everyone, including yourself, too hard."

She paused, and his eyes narrowed threateningly. She realized she was about to receive a healthy dose of his hostility, but she stood her ground and looked him determinedly in the eye.

"Teyla, it's been five days." He seemed calm and quiet, but his eyes showed his burning anger, though she suspected it was directed more at the situation than at her. "Five days, and we still haven't gone through even half the damn list! At this rate, she'll be dead by the time we find her! I'm sorry if they can't take the pace, but I don't ask any more of them than I ask of myself!" His voice was rising steadily with every sentence, and Teyla moved to cut him off with a gesture.

"Yes, but that is part of the problem. You haven't slept more than two hours at a time since we first began searching, and I don't think you have eaten in almost two days. You can't expect your people to function well under the same conditions. To tell the truth, I'm unsure how you have managed to stay upright for this long yourself. You need rest, John. We all need rest."

The fatigue hit him as soon as she commented on it, and he seemed to deflate before her eyes. Along with exhaustion, she caught a glimpse of something she couldn't quite decipher in his eyes.

John ran a hand over his face and sighed, "Teyla, I just want to find her. I need her to be here." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the sofa.

Teyla walked over and sat down beside him, placing a hand on his arm. She knew the Colonel and the Doctor were close, but she hadn't realized how much they depended on each other until now.

"We will find her. Of that I have no doubt." She paused and waited for him to agree, but she was startled when she received no response. "Just a quick break, John. Twenty-four hours. Give everyone a day to rest, and we'll start back tomorrow."

Eyes still closed, Sheppard nodded, although Teyla caught the barely detectable grimace that crossed his features before he agreed. _He blames himself, feels like he's failing her_, she thought sadly to herself. She squeezed his arm and said, "I'll let everyone know about the change in orders. Get some rest. Elizabeth will need you at your best when we find her."

She stood up, and he shifted so that he was lying down on the small couch. Teyla stopped in the doorway and looked back at him. His face was clouded with worry and frustration, even in sleep.

Teyla sighed and headed out to issue the new orders. _I hope we find her soon_, she thought, _as much for the Colonel's sake as for hers_.


	9. New Ground

**I wasn't too thrilled with the last chapter, so hopefully these next couple will make up for it. Thanks for all the reviews! Y'all make my day!

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"You're very lucky, do you know that?"

Elizabeth looked up, surprised to hear the gruff voice finally speak to her.

She was once again being led over rough terrain toward an unknown destination, but this time there were a few welcome changes.

First of all, she was now _riding_ a horse instead of following along behind one. A stretch of rope tethered her mount to that of the man riding in front of her. The chains had been removed from her ankles and neck, although the collar and the wrist restraints remained. Still, this trip had so far been considerably easier than her last.

She studied the man who had spoken, her _master_…she tasted bile in her throat as the word flickered across her mind. For the past two hours, ever since they had left the city, he had not so much as turned to look at her.

Either feeling her eyes on his back or simply not hearing a response to his question, the man shifted and glanced over his shoulder at her.

Realizing he expected her to respond, she glanced down at her bound hands, looked back up at him, and quirked an eyebrow. Without saying a word, she seemed to convey the message: _Lucky? You've got to be kidding._

A ghost of a smirk fleetingly graced his hardened features and he answered her unasked question. "Yes, I said lucky. Believe it or not, I'm a fair and honest man. You could have gotten a lot worse. Damien, the other man who was going after you, isn't exactly known for his compassion…" He trailed off, but Elizabeth was pretty sure she knew what he meant. She'd seen the way the other man had looked at her…it wasn't exactly a kind face. "Trust me, you'd much rather be working for me. Farming isn't an easy job, but I promise it's better than anything he'd have you doing." Elizabeth was definitely inclined to agree.

Feeling a little more confident after his statements, Elizabeth spoke up. "How much further is your farm?"

"We should be there by the end of the day," he answered. "Wouldn't take so long, but I wasn't planning on leading another horse the whole way back."

Elizabeth's eyebrows rose again in surprise. "You mean you weren't coming to buy…a slave?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Just wanted to trade for a few things I can only get in the city, not that there's much we can't make ourselves."

Elizabeth's puzzlement must have shown on her face, because the smirk returned to the man's face. "Wondering why I bought a slave, then?" At her nod, he sighed and his expression sobered. "I was wandering by when they put you up there. I heard Damien talking about…well, I heard he was hoping to purchase. I don't like Damien too much…liar and a cheat…and I guess there's just a soft spot left in this tough old man."

Elizabeth smiled a little at that, the resemblance to her great-uncle resurfacing in her mind. "Thank you," she said softly.

The man's eyes hardened once again, and he turned back around to the front. "Don't thank me yet. I may have had different reasons for it than most, but I still bought you as a slave, and you will work for me."

His tone clearly indicated that the conversation was over, but Elizabeth still had one question on her mind. "What should I call you?" she asked quietly.

"Phaestus," he muttered after a moment, glancing briefly over his shoulder again. The gesture reminded her strongly of Elos, and she once again wondered where he was.

Deciding that the slave trader didn't matter just now, she gave Phaestus a small smile. "I'm Elizabeth." For the first time since this whole ordeal began, she finally felt safe enough to relax a little. He nodded, and they continued on as the sun sank lower in the foreign sky.


	10. Breakthrough

**Ok, I still have a hard time figuring out how to write Ronon, so he's taking a little vacation. BUT, you get to see scary angry John:-)

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One week. It had been one week since they'd started searching planets again. One week, and still they had found nothing. Which meant Elizabeth had been missing for much longer than she should have been.

_Twelve days, four hours, and twenty-three minutes_, John thought angrily to himself._ This is the longest I've ever taken for a rescue mission…and it's Elizabeth! I should have had her home twelve _seconds_ later, not days!_

He sighed deeply, trying to clear the frustration from his thoughts so he could focus on his surroundings. His team had just stepped through the gate to yet another planet on the list of possibles Rodney had come up with.

He glanced around at his team. It was only the three of them today since Ronon had come down with some alien bacterial thing on the last planet. Sheppard grinned when he thought of all the questionable things Ronon had ingested since they had met him…and it had been four tiny berries from a wild bush that had finally brought the big man down.

"Ok folks, let's get a move on. Rodney, any idea which way to go?"

McKay glanced at the Ancient device in his hand and pointed toward the hills. He grimaced as he said, "That way."

Sheppard frowned, "McKay?"

Heaving a pitiful sigh, Rodney whined, "It's a two day walk to the nearest village, and those hills don't exactly look like a stroll through the park."

"I believe Dr.McKay may be making mountains out of molehills."

John immediately stopped and turned around to face the speaker, mouth hanging open.

Teyla grinned at John's astonished expression, then tried to put on a serious face as she asked, "Is that not the correct saying?"

"No! I mean, no…that's right…I just…didn't know you knew that one…" John stuttered.

Teyla's barely concealed grin was suddenly tinted with sadness as she quietly told him, "Aiden taught it to me shortly before he…left."

A pained expression fleetingly crossed the Colonel's face, and he nodded in understanding. He missed Ford, with his bad jokes and horrible attempts at naming new pieces of technology. He missed the guy…and he'd be damned if he'd lose another member of the expedition, especially not Elizabeth. He'd lost enough close friends this year.

With that determined thought in his mind, he gave Teyla a reassuring smile and turned to follow Rodney toward the distant village.

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Two irritating days later, John and his team finally arrived at the edge of the town. McKay was complaining loudly as usual, John was trying rather unsuccessfully to ignore him, and Teyla was beginning to get frustrated with them both. John swore this was the last time he went anywhere without a Jumper.

"I don't think it could get any hotter on this planet! The only thing worse is at night when it's colder than Russia…which of course is normal for an environment like this. But _oh my GOD_, it is HOT! You know, I think the heat is accelerating my hypoglycemia. This village better have somewhere we can get some decent food…I just hope they aren't famous for lemons or anything…"

"McKay! Zip it!" Sheppard ordered. They were reaching the center of the village now, and he didn't want their presence proclaimed to the entire population.

As they passed, a short balding man stuck his head out the window of a small shop. He apparently decided they weren't dangerous, because he immediately ran to the door.

"Hello, strangers! Welcome to Incala! I assume you are here to trade? Wonderful! I am Panal, owner of the finest shop in the village." He gave a small bow and continued to speak rapidly so that no one else could get a word in. Despite a momentary flash of frustration at the delay, John couldn't help but chuckle a little at the absurd antics of the little man. Deciding that the man was talkative enough to perhaps offer some valuable information, John allowed himself to be ushered into the shop. "Please, come in! Take a look around and let me know if there is anything you wish to trade for. Perhaps I can offer a suggestion? I'm sure the lady would be interested in…"

John finally managed to stop the torrential sales pitch by walking straight up to Panal and placing his right index finger over the very surprised man's lips.

"Actually," John began as soon as he was sure Panal was quiet (for the moment), "we're looking for a friend of ours. And we might be willing to trade for any information a certain person could offer…"

Finally getting over his shock at the Colonel's unorthodox interruption, Panal grinned and rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I would be pleased to offer any information I can. Ask away!"

John and Teyla both smiled, while Rodney still seemed to be reeling over discovering someone else who could babble nonsense as quickly as he could.

"Great!" John replied. "We were hoping you'd say that. Ok, so, our friend's name is Elizabeth. She was kidnapped twelve days ago and we think she was brought here. She has kinda curly brown hair, greenish eyes, and was wearing…" Sheppard stopped as something in a back corner of the shop suddenly caught his eye.

Panal looked confused as the Colonel's hopeful face dissolved into a hard anger. Without a word, he stalked over to a bundle of cloth Panal had thrown in the corner to sort through later. Then, before the merchant knew what was happening, Sheppard had wheeled around, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and slammed him against the counter.

Panal tried to catch his breath while Colonel Sheppard thrust a gray and red piece of cloth into his face. "She would have been wearing _this_!" he hissed. Teyla, who had been just as confused as Panal, suddenly realized that John was holding Elizabeth's expedition team jacket. "Where is she?" Sheppard growled.

Desperately wishing he had left this particular sales opportunity alone, Panal struggled to form coherent words. "Please! Don't hurt me! I bought it…from a slave trader…I'll tell you everything I know! Just…please…let me go!"

When John showed no signs of easing up on the merchant, Teyla stepped forward and put a restraining hand on the Colonel's arm. He glanced at her, then slowly backed off and released the terrified little man. After drawing two very shaky breaths and straightening his tunic, Panal rushed into the story.

"Elos brought it in over a week ago. Said he got it from his newest sale, a pretty woman from another planet. Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm not the one who said it! Anyway, he looked kinda upset…he's fairly new to the business, hasn't quite lost all his values yet…so I asked him about it. He said she was different from the others…I think he said _noble_. Anyway, he said he sold her to the slave merchant on the outskirts of town, and she'd be sold off again pretty soon. I told him to try to forget about her…hey, I was just trying to make him feel better! He was heading back out, but he asked me to stop by the auction and see who she went to; he was worried about her."

Breathing heavily, John fought to contain his fury. _A slave trader! If I ever get my hands on that Elos…._ Attempting to bring his thoughts under control, he bit out, "Did you go?"

Nodding hastily, Panal continued. "Yes, I went and I saw your friend. She was exactly as Elos had described. I felt sorry for her, what with her being a slave and all that. Anyway, she ended up sold to a farmer named Phaestus, which is actually really lucky for her."

At Sheppard's incredulous glare, Panal held up his hands placatingly. "Seriously! Damien was the other bidder, and I promise you wouldn't want her to go to _him_!"

Unable to stay still any longer, John began to pace the small shop, and Panal's eyes followed him nervously. Finally, John stopped and turned abruptly toward the shopkeeper, making him jump a little at the unexpected movement.

"Where is the farm?" the Colonel's voice was calm, but his eyes held a deadly gleam.

Swallowing hard, Panal scrambled behind him for paper and a writing tool. "Here…why don't I give you a map? Free…free of charge." He attempted a smile, but the expression on the Colonel's face quickly killed it. Clearing his throat, he turned and began furiously scratching out a rough drawing, wondering what he had done to deserve such a horrible day.


	11. So Close

**It's been a while, but I finally found time to continue this story. It won't be long now...just a couple more chapters! Thanks for reading!**

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**John shifted uncomfortably in his seat…or rather, his saddle. They ended up trading with Panal for horses once they saw how far away the farm was from the town. All it had taken were three powerbars and a calculator, which the bald little man found absolutely fascinating. 

"Don't see why all things we gave him belonged to _me_…" McKay had muttered as they set off, looking glumly back at the merchant, who was happily pecking away at the keys of the calculator with half a powerbar sticking out of his mouth.

John rolled his eyes at the comment, and Teyla just gave an indulgent smile. As much as they hated to admit it, Rodney really was growing on them.

Besides, they both knew that the scientist would stand in front of a gun for Elizabeth. He actually had.

Finally, after almost a full day of riding, they came upon the first sign of civilization since Panal's shop. Several fields of various agricultural products stretched out beyond a modest farmhouse. The team noticed at least five people bent over, hard at work.

John took a deep breath as he dismounted and tried to reign in his roiling emotions. He and Teyla had discussed strategy at length during the ride, sometimes developing into a full-blown argument.

Teyla, ever the diplomat, thought it best to first attempt to negotiate with the slaveholder. John had disagreed, preferring a more active alternative – like threatening to shoot the man if he didn't hand over Elizabeth…and just maybe doing it anyway. After giving him a look of disapproval, the Athosian reminded him that Elizabeth would probably want to avoid violence, even in a situation such as this. Eventually, John had agreed – though he still held the other alternatives in mind, just in case.

Teyla opened her mouth to suggest they knock on the door when two small round faces peeked around the side of the house, giggling and whispering excitedly. Smiling, she turned to face the children and called out a greeting.

The smallest of the two squealed and ducked behind the house again, but the older child rolled her eyes and stepped out to greet the strangers. "Hello," she said cautiously.

John took a step toward the girl and put on his best fly-boy grin. "Hey there. We're looking for a guy named Phaestus…do you know where we can find him?"

Smiling shyly at the Colonel, the little girl nodded. "He's out in the fields with the others. Do you want me to take you to him?"

When John nodded, she beamed with delight, turned abruptly, and took off toward the fields. The Atlanteans followed her until they came to the edge of the first field. There, the girl's call had brought an older man out from between the rows of wheat, and John knew he was staring at Elizabeth's "master".

He had tried very hard to remain calm, but looking into the man's face, John completely lost what little self control he had left. A growl forced its way out of his throat and he lunged at the man. By the time the little girl had screamed and run off into the fields for help, John had Phaestus on the ground with his arm across his throat.

"Where is Elizabeth!" he demanded, shoving the man further into the soft ground. "You bring her to me right now, and I might consider _not_ snapping your neck. And if you laid one finger on her, so help me…"

John was interrupted by a sudden pressure of hands gripping his arms and pulling him off the farmer. Two of Phaestus' slaves had come to their master's rescue, and a third was holding Rodney and Teyla at bay with a sharp scythe.

The Colonel struggled as Phaestus quickly got up and walked over. Staring him straight in the eye, he stated in an unwavering voice, "I _never_, in all the time she was here, hurt Elizabeth."

This seemed to get Colonel Sheppard's attention because he stopped struggling, although he continued to glare at the man before him. Phaestus' gaze never faltered as he began to explain.

"I never caused her any harm. The worst thing I ever had to do was lock her in her room at night, and I do that with all my slaves – standard procedure. In fact, it's required by law. I'm also willing to bet that all the things I do that you would consider inhumane are actually laws. Believe it or not, I'm a supporter of the antislavery movement!"

At John's incredulous look, Phaestus sighed. He instructed his men to release the team and motioned for them to follow him inside. He and Teyla sat down at a rough wooden table, while Rodney leaned against the far wall and John paced.

Shaking his head, Phaestus spoke once again. "Let me explain. We've had slaves on this world for so many generations that no one remembers how it even got started anymore. Recently, though, there's been a large movement to abolish the practice. The lobbyists in

the towns have managed to get a few things passed, but a lot of the ugly stuff still remains. The slave collar, attire, and lock-up are all mandatory. We're also required to use a minimum of wrist restraints during transport of any slave. But things are definitely getting better – at least in some places. For the first time in our history, slaves now have the opportunity to buy their freedom, although the price is left up to the master to decide.

He looked back and forth among the three strangers, and blew out a huff of air in frustration.

"Look, I know you don't approve of our ways here, but neither do I. I'm a fair and honest man; I only ask for the minimum payment possible to free my slaves, and I even give them a portion of my fields for their own use and profit. I'm doing the best I can in a screwed up system. It's all I can do."

John still didn't like the man, but he seemed sincere. Anyway, all John really wanted was Elizabeth. He didn't need a history lesson.

"We want to see her," he demanded. Phaestus dropped his head slightly, and the sinking feeling returned to John's stomach.

The slave master looked up at the Colonel, and the military commander saw a hint of sadness in the older man's eyes. "She's not here. I sold her two days ago. To _Damien_." He half-spit, half-hissed the name. His contempt for the other man was blatantly obvious in his tone.

This time, the outburst came from Rodney. "You _what_! How could you _sell_ her! This is absolutely barbaric! I can't believe places like this even exist…this entire galaxy is full of nothing but psychopathic maniacs!"

Teyla, noticing the beginnings of a rant from Rodney and the fury starting to boil from Sheppard, seized the moment to ask the next relevant question. Calmly, and with a warning glance toward each of her teammates, she turned to Phaestus and asked, "If you despise this man so much, why did you agree to sell Dr.Weir to him?"

Again, Phaestus sighed and studied his hands on the tabletop. When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with sadness and frustration. "It was her idea – Elizabeth's. She overheard how much Damien was willing to pay for her…about twice what I paid…and she told me to take it. At first, I refused; I can't stand Damien – greasy, lying bastard. But she told me that I could use the money to help the other slaves. She said to take whatever I paid for her in the market and divide the rest among the others."

He looked into John's eyes and said, "That woman can be extremely persuasive. Because of what she was willing to do, one of my free men was able to pay off his pregnant wife. And three others gained more than two months toward freedom. She did more for these people in one day than anyone else has in months."

John heard the admiration in the man's voice. He closed his eyes and said softly, "Yeah, she's definitely persuasive." Sighing, he looked up, more determined than ever to get her back. "How do we find this Damien guy?"

"His plantation is the next farm due east. But I need to warn you, Damien doesn't let go of his possessions easily, and he's very well-protected. Your best bet is probably to offer to buy her, but it all depends on how fond of her he's become."

John winced at the last statement, while Teyla and Rodney shared a worried glance. It was Teyla who finally broke the tense silence. "Thank you for your help, Phaestus."

"I only wish I could've done more…talked her out of that stupid sale or something. I'm worried about her; Damien is a cruel man, and I only hope you get there before he decides to…take an interest in her."

Back outside, Phaestus pointed them in the direction of Damien's plantation, and the team mounted their horses once again. They started to ride off when two familiar little faces caught John's eye at the corner of the house.

He stopped his horse and stared thoughtfully at the children. Phaestus followed his gaze and smiled reassuringly at the Colonel. "All children born in my household are born free, regardless of who their parents are. I told you, I'm a fair man."

John nodded at the weathered farmer, and turned back to the road ahead, praying they got to Elizabeth in time.


	12. Slavery

**Apparently, judging from the reviews and the number of reads, y'all are still interested in this story. I'm glad I decided to finish it even though it's been a while! Thanks again for all your input, and I promise that we're getting closer to the end...but we're not quite there yet:-)

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The hot sun baked her skin through the thin white fabric. Her arms ached, and every movement sent painful jolts of fire across her back. Her face was soaked with sweat, and her damp hair clung uncomfortably to her neck. Elizabeth had been out in this field since before dawn, and she knew she would likely be here until sunset.

The strange farm tool that she couldn't quite remember the Earth equivalent for had long ago rubbed fiery blisters on her palms and fingers. For the millionth time, she raised it up and plunged it into the hard soil. She lifted and turned simultaneously in a motion that had quickly become routine as she prepared the field. Not that she had the slightest idea what good she was doing…for all she knew, being forced to do hard labor with no useful outcome could just be a cruel component of her punishment.

Lift, thrust, lift and turn. Over and over again. All day long for the second day in a row. The work she'd done for Phaestus had been hard, but this was grueling.

As she raised the heavy tool once again, the pain in her back flared stronger and she gasped. Clenching her teeth and attempting to breathe through the pulsing agony, she tried not to think about the scars she would inevitably carry from this experience, both emotional and physical.

_As soon as she arrived, they had taken her inside the large plantation-style house. She was slightly surprised; she had expected to be put directly to work or taken to the slave quarters. Instead, she was led to a small room with thick carpet and elaborate paintings on the walls._

_One of the men unlocked her restraints, and they turned to leave. "Wait here. Your Master will come for you shortly."_

_With no other options available, Elizabeth waited. A few moments later, a side door opened to reveal the man from the city market, Damien. He had his long hair pulled back in a low ponytail, and that terrifying lustful look had returned to his face._

_He stepped aside and gestured for Elizabeth to enter the room. As soon as she stepped through the door, she froze. It was a bedroom._

_Before she could think to retrace her steps, Damien shut the door behind her. She struggled to breathe normally and force her brain to come up with some way out of this situation. Meanwhile, Damien advanced slowly, his eyes roaming appreciatively over her._

"_It seems I made a good purchase," he smiled sickeningly. "Let's find out, shall we?"_

_He was almost upon her and reaching for the shoulder ties on her dress when something inside Elizabeth finally snapped into place. The fear was gone, replaced by a fierce determination. Suddenly, she remembered all her combat training sessions with perfect clarity. She held perfectly still until the instant both of Damien's hands touched her dress. She immediately threw up one arm to knock his hands away while the other sent a fist flying directly into Damien's face. His hands flew to his nose, which was gushing blood, and Elizabeth took this opportunity to shove her knee into his groin with all the force she could muster. He gasped and doubled over, moaning in pain._

_Elizabeth saw her opening and sprinted for the door, praying there weren't a dozen guards on the other side._

There hadn't been a dozen, but there were guards. She'd been recaptured before she even got all the way out of the house. As soon as he recovered from his initial shock, Damien had been beyond furious.

He'd ordered her taken outside and chained to a tall post. Then he came out, whip in hand and blood still dripping from his obviously broken nose (which Elizabeth had to admit she was immensely proud of, despite what it cost her). Thankfully, he'd only given her between five and ten lashes, but each one had caused more pain that Elizabeth had even known she'd been capable of feeling. They'd left her there for the remainder of the day, and the next morning she'd been sent out to the fields.

The only good thing Elizabeth could find in this whole situation was that she doubted Damien would attempt to have her again anytime soon. She shivered despite the heat when she thought of what could have happened.

Shaking off those unpleasant thoughts, she shoved the physical pain to the back of her mind as best she could and returned to the monotonous work of the past two days. However, before she had cleared even three more feet, she noticed one of Damien's cronies approaching from the direction of the house.

"You, come with me. Now."

She sighed with relief, but then narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the man. "Why? What's going on?"

The young man was obviously bored, impatient, and frustrated with being assigned such a menial task as fetching a slave. "Something about a prospective buyer, I think…stop asking questions and move!"

Elizabeth's spirits dropped a bit further at this news. She would once again be put on display, scrutinized like a piece of livestock, and sold without a thought. _And I thought this day couldn't get any worse…_


	13. Rescue

**This is my longest chapter so far, but I just couldn't find a good break point. :-)

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"I am curious, Colonel. Why do you have such an interest in this slave and no other?"

John glanced up from his cup of wine and hesitated before answering. He was seated at a long wooden table across from the sleazy plantation owner known as Damien.

"Well…" he began slowly, "I was passing through the market the other day when I saw her. I would've made a bid, but I didn't have enough money at the time. Now, I do."

Damien seemed to accept this answer, and returned to his wine. John noted that the man's nose was slightly swollen; it had obviously been broken recently. His determination to get Elizabeth away from this place alive was the only thing keeping him from breaking more than just the bastard's nose.

John had come alone to barter for Elizabeth after much discussion on the journey from Phaestus' farm. Teyla agreed to stay behind since they had no idea how Damien would react to a strong female presence. And Rodney had refused to go anywhere near the place. He didn't want to jeopardize Elizabeth's life with his terrible bluffing skills.

And so it happened that, with a stern lecture from Teyla on keeping his temper in check for Dr.Weir's sake, John headed in to calmly do business with the one man on this world he _really _wanted to put a bullet into.

John was pulled back into the scene around him when a side door opened and one of Damien's guards came forward to whisper something to his master. Damien smiled and gestured to the Colonel, "She is ready for inspection. Shall we?"

John's emotions were roiling as he stood to follow Damien out of the room. He was relieved and elated that he would see Elizabeth soon, yet terrified that he might find her hurt or broken. This, coupled with the ever-present feelings of hatred and revulsion toward the evil man in front of him, left him strangely nervous and afraid that he wouldn't be able to rein in the emotions when he finally saw her.

Before he knew it, they were standing in front of a heavy wooden door with a padlock. John took a deep breath and steeled himself for whatever he might see beyond that door. _Oh god, please let her be ok…_

The door swung open, and the emotions churned and intensified: immense relief and a growing and intense anger. The strongest woman he'd ever known stood there in front of him with chains on her ankles, wrists, and neck. If it were possible, John thought she looked thinner than before, and it was obvious from the slight droop in her shoulders that she was exhausted.

But all John's fears that the experience would break her evaporated the moment she raised her head. Her eyes had not changed at all; they still radiated confidence, strength, and determination. John's heart swelled, and he thought himself foolish for believing for an instant that she could be so weak. Pride in their ability to take whatever life threw at them had always been something the two leaders of Atlantis shared, and he couldn't believe he had ever doubted her.

"Well, what do you think?" Damien asked, that sickening smile still plastered onto his face. He turned to Sheppard and waited expectantly for an answer.

Elizabeth could hardly believe her eyes…it was him! Her breath caught in her chest, and she felt the prickling of tears. He had finally come. She wasn't alone anymore; she never really had been.

She finally regained control of her breathing when Damien asked his question. She started to open her mouth to voice a question, but stopped when John gave an almost undetectable shake of his head. _Ok, John must be the buyer they were talking about. And he doesn't want Damien to know that we're…whatever we are. He probably thinks Damien will give me up easier if he doesn't know. He's probably right._

She caught John's eye and gave him the barest of nods. Then she dropped her face again and tried to play the obedient slave. There would be time for emotion later, when they were far away from this nightmare.

John struggled to regain his composure without giving anything away. He finally managed to grunt a reply to Damien's question. "Uh, yeah…nice." He tried to hide his grimace of revulsion at what he was saying. Here he was, standing here talking about Elizabeth like she were a piece of merchandise or something! The sooner this was all over with, the better!

They suddenly realized that Damien was speaking once again. "Oh yes, she's quite lovely. Bit feisty though, I can tell you for sure." At this, his hand wandered absently toward his face to touch his slightly crooked nose. Neither John nor Elizabeth hid their smirks very well, but thankfully Damien was distracted and didn't notice.

Clearing his throat, John turned to Damien once again. "Ok, we've already discussed the price, and now I've seen her. So let's get this show on the road. Is this finished yet?"

Even though she knew this was her only ticket out of here, Elizabeth still felt a small measure of shame that she was in this situation in the first place. She was a slave, and John was buying her freedom. She could think of nothing that would be more humiliating for her right now.

_Elizabeth, you're being ridiculous, _she thought sternly to herself. _Get a hold of yourself and concentrate on getting out of here and going _home

Damien nodded to Sheppard and said, "Of course. Wait here and I'll retrieve the papers to finalize the transaction." As he turned to leave, he caught Elizabeth's eye. The smirk returned to his face as he spoke. "My dear Elizabeth, it's a shame you weren't able to enjoy your time here more thoroughly. Still, I know you have something you can always remember me by. Good luck breaking this one, Colonel…I had some trouble in that department." With that, he strode from the room and down the hall, leaving John standing confused and angry in the doorway and Elizabeth trying desperately to control her emotions.

And then, for a few precious moments, they were alone.

John quickly closed the gap between them and reached for her hands. He noticed how tightly she was holding them, and he absently rubbed his thumbs along the back of her hands. "Are you all right?" he asked, his tone full of concern.

"I'm fine," she said softly, "or at least, I will be soon." John saw the tears building up in her eyes, but before he could comment further, she straightened her shoulders again in the familiar Dr.Weir mode.

She met his eyes once again and asked, "Did you bring one horse or two?" At his answer of one, she nodded. "In that case, you'll have to leave the restraints on until we're away from the plantation. He'll give you a key, but you can't unlock them yet or he'll get suspicious. They'll expect you to ride the horse and lead me behind you."

When John looked like he was about to protest, Elizabeth cut him off. "Please John, I don't like this any more than you do, but right now I just want to get out of here."

"Ok," he nodded, "we're going home as quickly as we can, I promise." He reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, then let his hand linger on her cheek for a moment. Elizabeth closed her eyes and fought to keep the sudden tears at bay. Suddenly they heard footsteps approaching. John gave her hand a quick squeeze and reluctantly stepped away from her.

A few moments later, they stepped out into the sunshine. John mounted his horse, and tried to stop himself from glancing back at Elizabeth. Playing along with this barbaric experience was killing him. He ached to rip the restraints off of Elizabeth and slap them onto that miserable slug of a human being now holding the chain attached to Elizabeth's neck.

"Well, Colonel, she's all yours." Damien smiled as he handed over the chain, and John set his jaw, willing himself not to do anything that would jeopardize Elizabeth's safety. Oblivious to the colonel's anger, Damien grinned and spoke almost absently, "Now that you've paid, I don't mind telling you that I had a few disciplinary problems with this one. Damn stubborn bitch, I must say. Still…" he stepped over and cupped Elizabeth's face in his hand, "she is definitely nice to look at…"

Unable to stop himself, John growled "Damien…"

At this, the slave master seemed to snap out of his reverie. He turned back to Sheppard and said, "Of course. I'm sure you have a long journey ahead of you. Safe travels, and it was a pleasure doing business with you!" With that, he turned and strode back toward the house.

John didn't trust himself to speak, so instead he nudged his horse in the direction of the town and tried not to think about the fact that he was leading Elizabeth behind him like an animal.

For her part, despite the humiliation she felt at the entire situation, Elizabeth found it difficult to walk calmly away. She wanted nothing more than to sprint through the stargate and forget the past two weeks ever happened.

As soon as they were a safe distance from the plantation, John dismounted and plucked a small key from a pocket of his vest. He quickly unlocked and discarded the wrist and ankle restraints, as well as the long heavy chain.

But she stilled his hand as it reached for the collar around her neck. Looking into his eyes, she said softly, "Your key won't unlock that. They said the collar is permanent…the mark of a slave."

John's mouth set into a grim line as he moved his hand to rub her upper arm reassuringly. "McKay will be able to get it off once we're back in Atlantis." She nodded, appreciating his optimism and support. She had every confidence in Rodney and his team, and she knew they would find a way once they were home.

_Home_. She drew in a shuddering breath as it suddenly sank in. She was going finally going _home_. Once again, tears threatened to overwhelm her, but this time the emotion behind them was completely different. Looking up, she noticed John's concerned expression and gave him a small smile to let him know she was alright.

As if reading her thoughts, he pulled her close to him in a hug and whispered into her ear, "It's alright. You're going home. It's all over." She struggled to breathe air into her lungs as she attempted to choke back the tears. She didn't want to lose it yet. Not here, not while she still wasn't completely out of this hellhole.

Finally regaining some measure of composure, she loosened her grip on John. He gave her one last squeeze, and she bit back the small gasp of pain from the pressure on her still-tender back. He didn't seem to notice, and she didn't want to reveal that little piece of information to him until they were safely away from here…and until he was too far away to try anything stupid out of anger.

"Come on," John said, flashing the first grin he'd managed since Elizabeth had been abducted. "We need to regroup with McKay and Teyla. They're supposed to be waiting for us over that hill."

Elizabeth nodded, grateful for the warning before meeting up with other members of the team. She felt comfortable breaking a little in front of John, but she still tried to maintain her professional strength when around others of the expedition. She quickly swiped a hand across her eyes, smoothed down her dress, set her shoulders, and followed John over the hill to see her friends.

_Just a few more days, _she thought. Then she would be back home in Atlantis and life could return to normal…although the rational part of her mind doubted it would be anywhere near that easy.

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**Ok, I also know that some of you are waiting anxiously for that conversation between John and Elizabeth, but it just wouldn't happen yet...sorry! Keep reading! I promise you'll get it eventually:-)**


	14. Worst Fears

**Thanks again for your comments! The story wasn't originally going this way, but a new plot bunny bit me when I was reading the reviews, and I'm very glad it did! Thanks:-)

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As soon as they crested the hill, John knew something was wrong. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and little alarm bells started going off in his head. There was no sign of Teyla or Rodney. He scanned their position to make sure he had the right hill…he did. Something was definitely wrong.

Elizabeth picked up on the sudden increase in tension, and looked at John warily. "They're not here…what's wrong?" Her forehead was creased with worry lines and John caught a glimpse of fear in her eyes.

Giving a noncommittal reply, John reached for his radio. "Teyla, McKay…this is Colonel Sheppard. What's your position?" His apprehension grew as only the crackling of radio static came through the handset.

He turned to say something to Elizabeth and realized with a start just how open and vulnerable their current position was. Anyone in the area could see them clearly at the top of this hill. He motioned for Elizabeth to follow him down the hill; she raised an eyebrow in confusion, but followed without comment.

As they came into the little valley below, Sheppard reached for his radio to try contacting his team once again.

Then, in an instant, Elizabeth's nightmare plummeted to an even worse dimension.

Out of nowhere, four men surrounded the pair, guns drawn. Sheppard immediately pulled up his P90 and moved protectively in front of Elizabeth. But even as he fell automatically into defensive position, the rational portion of his brain knew that this was a hopeless situation. There was no way to get out of this without one or both of them being seriously injured or, more likely, killed.

Reluctantly, and with a reassuring glance toward Elizabeth, Colonel Sheppard lowered his weapon. The man closest to him immediately stepped forward to pull it out of his hands, along with the sidearm strapped to his thigh. Another, younger than the others, shouldered his weapon and took the reigns to Sheppard's horse. He stepped to the side, and the remaining three gunmen ushered their new prisoners forward.

A minute later, the group rounded a small outcropping of trees, and Elizabeth's confidence fell even further. There in front of her, Teyla and Rodney were kneeling on the ground with their hands on their heads. Each had another gunman behind them pointing a nasty-looking weapon directly at them.

Elizabeth and John were maneuvered into position beside the other two and instructed to do the same. Elizabeth had just knelt down on the end and was raising her hands when she looked up and froze. She was once again staring into the face she had hoped never to see again, even in her nightmares.

Damien, the smug smirk back on his face, strutted toward the captives and stopped a couple of feet away, surveying them as if he had just captured prize animals in a hunt. He flashed a broad mocking grin and said, "Well, it appears I was correct in my assumption that you were hiding something, Colonel."

John once again felt the cold fury rising from the pit of his stomach and threatening to overwhelm him. He struggled to resist the urge to launch himself at Damien and choke the life out of him. Instead, he remained rigidly still and tried to concentrate on what the bastard was telling him.

"I knew something wasn't right from the very beginning…I'm very observant, you know. So, I had you followed. It seems my intuition has served me well once again." He turned to the Colonel and Dr.Weir, "My men told me of your actions back at the hill before they captured you both, Colonel. How touching!" His self-important smirk and mocking tone only served to infuriate the Colonel further.

Seeing this, Damien gave a short laugh and turned back to address them all. He clapped his hands together and tilted his head in thought. "Now…what should we do with all of you?...Hmm…"

John finally found his voice and tried to keep the hatred out of his tone. "If you kill us or try to keep us as prisoners, more of our people will come looking for us. As soon as we're overdue for this mission, they'll send people through to investigate…and I doubt they'll try the whole 'negotiate first' thing."

To John's surprise, Damien seemed to be seriously considering his warning. John took this opportunity to glance toward Elizabeth. She seemed to be holding up pretty well, but her entire body was tensed and the spark of fear still hadn't left her eyes. John cursed himself for not being able to take her away from all this earlier.

His attention snapped back to Damien when the slaveholder nodded his head; evidently he had come to a decision. John held his breath and waited for the verdict, apprehension for his team slamming to the forefront of his consciousness.

Damien looked at the Colonel with a completely serious expression. "I will allow you to be escorted back to the stargate and return to your planet. However, you will be put in restraints for the duration of the journey. I must also ask that you never return here."

John could hardly believe his ears. He was just going to let them go! _Hell, I'm not going to argue with him!_ He breathed out a small sigh of relief and started to voice his agreement, but then he noticed the smirk return to Damien's face. John's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he waited for the other shoe to drop.

He didn't expect the other shoe to kick him square in the chest and stomp him repeatedly.

"I will allow you to go," Damien said, "but as punishment for deceiving me, I _will _reclaim my property. The slave belongs to me once again."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock as Damien's meaning sank in, and she began to shake. One of the guards stepped forward and Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat when she saw what he was carrying. Her eyes fixed on the restraints she and John had discarded earlier. The guard moved toward her, and she felt panic begin to take hold.

"No," she whispered. Then, louder and stronger, "No…I won't go back. I can't!" She started to scramble backward, away from the guard with the manacles. Suddenly, she felt strong arms encircle her and haul her to her feet, arms effectively immobilized by her sides.

She distantly heard John and the others shouting, but all she could focus on was the overwhelming panic at the thought of wearing the restraints again. Without thinking, she threw her head back and smashed the back of her skull into her captor's face. She heard a sickening crunch and a yell of pain before she was thrown violently to the ground.

She started to pull herself up, acting purely on adrenaline and a primitive survival instinct, but a hand around her neck forced her down on her back. She thrashed and kicked out wildly, but the two men together finally managed to lock the restraints back into place, including the neck chain. They both stood up, one nursing his crushed nose, the other rubbing his chest where a well-timed kick from Elizabeth had left a vicious bruise.

They left Elizabeth lying on the ground, tears streaming silently down her face. Just when she thought she was finally free, they had thrust her back into hell.

John, now sporting a cut along his hairline at the temple from an attempt to help Elizabeth that ended in a blow from the butt of a gun, stared helplessly at the ground in front of him, hands balled into fists. Anger, frustration, and anguish for what he knew Elizabeth must be feeling, rushed through him. He raised his head and locked eyes with Damien. He poured all his emotion into that one glare, letting him glimpse the murderous rage that was barely held in check.

Damien, arrogantly unimpressed, simply turned to give instructions to his men. "You two, restrain the prisoners and escort them back to the gate. The rest of you, with me." He nodded to a burly man with a scar down the side of his face, and the guard reached down to grab hold of Elizabeth's chain. He yanked her violently to her feet and mounted one of John's horses.

As they walked off, John caught Elizabeth's eye, and what he saw there shattered his heart. The spark of defiance in her eyes was gone completely. In its place was a blank detachment. No emotion registered at all on her tear-streaked face. John tried to let her know without speaking that it wasn't over, that they would get her out of here. But there was no hope left in her eyes. At another tug on the chain, she turned and followed the group back toward the plantation, leaving John with a deep ache in his chest.


	15. Finally

**So sorry this chapter took forever to get to you! I had a crazy schedule for exams that left absolutely no time to write. Then when I finally sat down at my computer over break, I discovered that my muse and plot bunnies had stolen my credit card and gone off to Fiji for a winter vacation! They got back yesterday, so hopefully I'll be able to get back to writing more! Thank you all for being so patient, and thanks again for all the reviews!**

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**John watched until they crested the hill, unable to focus on anything but that look in Elizabeth's eyes. He finally snapped out of it when he realized his captors were changing positions. 

One moved to stand in front of John, covering all three prisoners, while the other retrieved short lengths of rope from his bag. John stole a quick glance at Telya, and her eyes told him that she was poised for attack on his signal. He gave her a small nod and waited for the men to make a mistake. It didn't take long.

While the first man bent to secure Rodney's wrists behind his back, the other took his eyes off Sheppard for a moment to glance around the area. In that instant, John slammed forward, knocking the gun from the stunned man's grasp. By the time John had jumped back up, the other thug was lying in a heap at Teyla's feet, and she was busy untying Rodney's bonds.

Wasting no time, John retrieved their weapons and tossed one to each of his teammates. "Teyla, flank left. Rodney, with me." With any luck, Damien's party hadn't cleared the valley, and John's team would have a tactical advantage. He slammed a fresh magazine into his P-90 and took off running to the right, trying to force his legs to move faster.

* * *

Elizabeth trudged along behind the horses, barely able to focus on anything. Fragments of thoughts swirled through her mind, washed over by waves of fear and sadness. _They're taking me back…I thought I was finally going home…John was here to take me home…I hope they're ok…Oh god, I don't know if I can do this again!…_

She drew in a deep, shaky breath and tried to pull herself together. She knew John wouldn't just leave her here; he'd be back with a fleet of puddle jumpers, an army of soldiers, and General Jack O'Neill himself if he thought it would help! This was just a minor setback. All she had to do was hold on for the few days it would take them to get back to the gate and bring reinforcements.

The scared little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that it might not be as easy as last time, considering she'd just been recaptured after a failed escape attempt. But Dr. Elizabeth Weir, the skilled negotiator who'd bartered several of the most sensitive agreements in the history of her planet, didn't give up. And she sure as hell wasn't about to start now, when it was her own life at stake!

Feeling much more confident again, Elizabeth raised her head and focused on not letting her fatigue, pain, and fear show through. She certainly wasn't going to let Damien think he'd broken her…it was going to take a lot more than chains to do that, she thought with a small smirk. She walked along behind her captors, head held high.

Without warning, the sky around them exploded with gunfire. Elizabeth immediately dropped to the ground and covered her head with her arms. The horses went wild, bucking their riders and running for the tree line. She heard Damien's men scrambling for cover and returning fire, but it was over rather quickly. Teyla ordered the remaining men to lower their weapons, and Elizabeth raised her head to find herself face-to-face with her chief scientist.

"Elizabeth! Are you ok!" Rodney panted, grabbing her arms and helping her to stand.

She nodded and smiled at her friend. "Yes, I'll be fine. Thank you, Rodney."

"McKay! Catch!" John shouted. He tossed over the keys to Elizabeth's restraints before taking off up the hill. Elizabeth shot Rodney as questioning look as she rubbed her wrists and stretched her arms.

Rodney bent to free her ankles as he spoke, "Damien got away. He ran off up that hill, and Sheppard's beyond pissed. He's gone all cave-man protective and probably won't stop until he's bashed that sleazy idiot's head in with a club."

As soon as Elizabeth was completely free of the restraints, and Teyla had rendered the rest of Damien's men unconscious, the three followed John up the hill. What they saw in the next valley made Elizabeth's jaw drop.

Damien was sprawled on the ground, moving but clearly in a great deal of pain with three men pointing guns directly at his head. Off to one side stood Sheppard, chatting amiably with another man whose back was to Elizabeth.

Noticing their presence, the man turned, and Elizabeth's lips curved into a smile. "Phaestus!" she exclaimed, obviously surprised to see him.

The weathered old man nodded, "I figured you could use back-up. Plus, I've been waiting for an excuse to do that for a long time," he gestured to his men who were now locking restraints onto Damien's wrists and ankles.

Damien finally began to regain consciousness and realized what was happening to him. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Phaestus!" he shouted.

"Well…" John drawled, "I _think_ he's arresting you."

At Damien's outraged expression, Phaestus chimed in. "Yep, that's what I'm doing. You see, I believe that you signed a contract of sale and received fair payment. Yet, the Colonel here tells me that you then attacked him and kidnapped Elizabeth. Tell me, Damien, do you know the punishment for stealing a slave?" At this, Damien visibly paled and his mouth hung open in shock.

Phaestus smirked and turned to John. "Would you like to press charges, sir?"

John opened his mouth to say something to the effect of _You bet your ass!_, but stopped when Elizabeth laid a hand on his arm. Both men turned to her questioningly.

"Phaestus, what _is_ the punishment for stealing a slave?" she asked quietly.

"Well," he answered with a confused tone, "usually the prisoner is sold into slavery himself. You steal a slave, you become a slave."

Elizabeth nodded, then appeared thoughtful for a moment. When she finally turned back to Phaestus, she was back in Dr.Weir mode. "Part of me wants to see Damien experience what he put others through, feel that humiliation. However, the larger part of me wouldn't wish slavery on _anyone_, no matter what he's done. This won't solve anything, Phaestus. It will only keep the system of slavery going for that much longer."

Phaestus considered her words, nodded, and threw a disgusted look at Damien cowering on the ground. "You're damn lucky, you know that?" he muttered under his breath. Looking back up to Elizabeth, he said "Ok, here's what we'll do. I have to arrest him (not that it'll be a heartbreaking job, mind you), and the law says he has to be sold into slavery. But I respect you and your wishes. For that reason alone, I'll insist that he become my slave. I'll treat him well, you know that, and I'll let him go free after he's served his time."

Elizabeth nodded. "Make sure the others at his plantation are freed as well. Use his money if there's a legal issue about it. And Phaestus…thank you, for everything."

The farmer rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and shrugged a shoulder. "Hey, I told you there was still a soft spot somewhere in this old man." She smiled and gently kissed his suntanned cheek, before turning to John and asking to go home.

John started to reply when Teyla's radio suddenly crackled with static, making them all jump. Teyla answered and passed the radio to Colonel Sheppard who was met with a familiar voice.

"Colonel, when you didn't check back in, we started to get a little worried back home. Thomason and I are in Jumper Two about two minutes from your location. Need a ride?" They could almost hear the grin on Major Lorne's face through the radio.

"Sure," the Colonel answered, beaming at Elizabeth. "Need me to stick a thumb up, or do you think you can find us?"

"I can see you now, sir. We're on our way."

* * *

As soon as the jumper landed, the team said goodbye to Phaestus and boarded, eager to leave this particular planet far behind them. 

Lorne twisted in his seat to smile at Dr.Weir. "It's good to see you, ma'am. We'll have you back home in just a few minutes."

Elizabeth thanked him and sank gratefully into a seat in the rear of the jumper. Leaning her head back and closing her eyes, she was slightly startled when she felt someone sit down beside her. She opened her eyes and met the concerned gaze of her military commander.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice.

She gave him a small smile and said softly, "I'm going home." She discretely reached for his hand, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

He returned the smile, and the rest of the ride passed in a comfortable silence…though he was all too aware that she didn't exactly answer his question.


	16. Homecoming

A/N: Sorry this took so long to complete. I seem to have a knack for starting but not finishing stories. I told myself I wouldn't post another story unless it was finished...That's why I haven't posted more, I guess. I hope you enjoy this conclusion, and I hope it flows well since it's been so long between writings.

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Shortly after Jumper Two docked in Atlantis, Elizabeth found herself sitting on a bed in the infirmary. John hovered close by, unwilling to let her out of his sight just yet. Teyla had volunteered to oversee the return of all other search teams, and Ronon was asleep on a nearby bed, still recovering from his earlier illness.

Elizabeth looked up as Rodney, Zelenka, and Carson all walked in at the same time, arguing as always. Suddenly, she felt oddly self-conscious with so many people in the room. She was still wearing the thin white dress now stained with dirt. The weight of the metal collar was ever-present in her mind, and she was acutely aware of the fact that she had not bathed in almost two days.

Nevertheless, she forced herself to focus on what Rodney was saying.

"Carson, it won't take long!" Apparently, the Scottish doctor was less than pleased about someone reporting anything to Elizabeth before he'd had a chance to examine her.

"It's alright, Carson. Gentlemen, what have you found?" She had asked Rodney and Zelenka to work on finding a way to remove the slave collar.

Rodney smirked briefly at Carson, then turned to begin his report. "The metal is quite fascinating, really. There don't appear to be any external locking mechanisms…which goes along with what you said about the collar being permanent. The metal is incredibly strong, possibly stronger than trinium, even though it's much lighter. Really, we should try to get our hands on some of this stuff. It could be extremely useful for all kinds of applications…"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and tried to force back her frustration. "Rodney," she interrupted sternly, "just get it _off_…please."

Startled, Rodney looked up. Elizabeth was calm, but her shoulders were tense, and there was a hint of something else in her eyes that Rodney couldn't quite put his finger on. Embarrassment, maybe? In any case, he belatedly realized his mistake. She didn't want a report on the metal. She wanted him to take away the last reminder of her ordeal.

Lowering his head, Rodney answered her quietly. "Elizabeth, I'm not sure I can yet. At least, not without hurting you. We'll keep working on it. I promise, we'll figure something out."

Elizabeth nodded, but didn't say anything. Carson seized the opportunity to usher the others from the room.

Turning back to Elizabeth, he said kindly, "Ok Dr. Weir. Just a few questions, a couple of quick tests, and we'll get you off to a shower and some much-needed rest. Now, I need to know anything that may have happened during your time on that planet that may have affected your health."

Elizabeth hesitated. She didn't want anyone to know about the beating she'd received from Damien, but she knew the doctor would find the wounds eventually. She might as well tell him now and get it over with.

He wasn't going to like this.

* * *

John finally found her outside on her favorite balcony later that night, staring up at the stars. She had changed back into her usual Atlantis uniform and stood leaning against a support beam, absently fingering the metal ring still around her neck.

John purposely clanked his boots against the floor as he approached, so that he wouldn't startle her. She turned her head and smiled softly at him, letting him know that he wasn't intruding on her solitude.

He leaned against the railing next to her, and they both spent a few silent moments admiring the view of the city and the ocean. Finally, without turning her head or shifting position, Elizabeth spoke. "Thank you…for coming for me."

John never moved as he replied sincerely, "I wouldn't have left you there."

"I know. Thank you for that." They settled once again into the comfortable silence.

After a moment, John turned to look at her. He studied her, seemingly deciding whether or not to ask the question that was on his mind. She caught his gaze, and he reached a decision.

"Back at the plantation, Damien said something about…discipline problems…" He trailed off, and Elizabeth sighed. She'd known this conversation would come eventually.

"My first day there, Damien ended up punishing me."

John struggled to keep his anger in check, and calmly asked, "Why?"

Elizabeth smirked slightly. "I broke his nose."

John couldn't help the grin that crept across his face. "I had a feeling that might have been your handiwork," he commented. Elizabeth merely smiled in response and returned her gaze to the stars, thankful he hadn't asked _why_ she had broken Damien's nose.

"Elizabeth, what was the punishment? What did he do to you?"

John had spoken to Carson earlier, after his examination. While the doctor hadn't given out any confidential medical information, the anger and sadness in his eyes had been enough to tell John that it hadn't been pleasant. Part of him didn't want to know…but he'd seen Elizabeth's reactions to Damien, and he _had _to know.

Elizabeth hesitated once again. She really didn't want anyone to know about the beating. She wouldn't have told Carson, but he would have found the wounds eventually anyway.

John took her hesitation as a bad sign, and pushed harder. "Elizabeth, please tell me. He didn't…did he…Elizabeth, did he rape you?" The question spilled out in a rush, the tinge of desperation obvious in John's tone.

Elizabeth's head shot up, and she instinctively reached for his hand. "No, John…no, he didn't rape me."

John's relief was immediately evident, but he didn't release her hand. Instead, he turned her toward him, and repeated his earlier question. "Then what happened? Please tell me, Elizabeth."

She closed her eyes, then softly stated, "He hit me several times…with a whip."

John's breath caught in his throat, and a white-hot anger threatened to overwhelm him. He should have killed the little bastard when he had the chance. In fact, he was a hairsbreadth away from dialing the gate and giving the sniveling arrogant asshole a taste of his own medicine.

Elizabeth spoke again, her voice stronger but her hand still securely clasping John's. "Thankfully, Carson says none of the wounds were infected…but they'll probably scar. That's what Damien meant when he said I'd have something to remember him by. Even if this damn collar isn't permanent, those marks are." The tears she'd been holding back threatened to flood as she heard herself actually say the words that had been in the back of her mind since her talk with Carson.

Noticing Elizabeth's unshed tears, John forcefully shoved his anger to the back burner. Elizabeth didn't need him avenge her injustices; if that were the case, she wouldn't have stopped him from punishing Damien back on his planet. What Elizabeth needed right now was someone to be there, to comfort her, to let her know that she was safe and no one could hurt her anymore.

John took hold of both of Elizabeth's hands and looked into her eyes. He tried to pour every emotion he was feeling into that stare. He opened his mouth to reassure her that everything would be fine, but the words died in his throat when Elizabeth suddenly choked out a small sob and leaned in to wrap him in a tight embrace.

Before this, John had hugged Elizabeth only twice. The first time, after the siege of the city, it had been a complete surprise. That spur-of-the-moment hug had been quick, a mark of friendship and relief that they had both made it through.

Their second hug had been on Incala, a moment to help Elizabeth pull herself together and realize that the nightmare really was over.

This time was different. Elizabeth clasped her arms around his neck as she cried softly, and he gently held her, being careful not to put too much pressure on her injured back. She didn't cling desperately to him while she sobbed herself to exhaustion, but John was amazed and touched that she trusted him enough to allow him to witness this much of a break in her normally flawless composure.

After a moment, Elizabeth pulled back. She attempted a smile, but didn't quite make it. John reached out and tenderly wiped a tear from her face with his thumb. He looked her in the eye and stated with complete confidence, "You will be alright. You're strong, and we're here to help you. You _will_ be ok."

For the first time since her rescue, Elizabeth realized that she truly believed that. She would be much more confident in John's statement once Rodney and Radek figured out how to get rid of the collar, but she knew John was right. She had made it through, and eventually, with help from John and her friends, she would survive.

She smiled and turned back to the balcony railing. John settled in beside her, his arm brushing hers, and together they watched the sun set below the horizon.

* * *

Two days later, Elizabeth stood once again in front of the active stargate in her Atlantis uniform and civilian tactical vest. Rodney had finally been able to remove the metal slave collar after Radek discovered an Ancient laser cutter among the gadgets on Rodney's "Figure This Out Later" shelf.

Other than a mild sunburn and a ring of irritated skin where the collar once rested, there were no visible signs of Elizabeth's captivity. The wounds on her back had almost healed, although she was still keenly aware of their existence. She could only hope that ever-present awareness and self-consciousness would fade with time.

John strode into the room, checking his gear one last time as he went. He stopped next to Elizabeth and looked back and forth between her and the stargate several times. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked seriously.

She didn't hesitate as she nodded an affirmative. "We could use access to some of that metal. Plus, their society is changing rapidly. Phaestus made it clear that a power struggle is erupting between supporters of the new and old traditions. I think opening trade negotiations with the right side could help the others see that the change is more beneficial to everyone. And my firsthand knowledge of the system should also come in handy during the negotiations and debate."

She paused, and John noticed her hand absently rise to rub at the skin of her neck, still slightly raw from the abrasion of the collar. His instinct was to permanently lock Incala's address from the database and find the metal somewhere else. He had no desire to ever return to that planet.

As if reading his mind, Elizabeth spoke again. "I can't just leave it the way it was and move on. There are too many people there who have no one to come and rescue them. I don't know if it will make any difference, but I have to try."

Once again, John marveled at the strength of the woman standing before him. This was what she wanted to do, and he knew that she needed it to make peace with her experience.

He turned his attention to the gate technician. "Colonel Sheppard, Dr.Weir," the young man called out from the control room balcony, "Phaestus says that everything is in place. Incala is ready to welcome our trade negotiation party."

John glanced at Elizabeth, signaling that they would go as soon as she was ready. She took a deep breath, and turned decisively toward the gate. "Let's move out, then." Without hesitation, she walked purposefully through the gate, determined to make a difference on Incala this time.

-End-


End file.
